


Another Step in the Dance

by Musetotheworld



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Matchmaking, Pining Idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-26 00:42:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20035015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musetotheworld/pseuds/Musetotheworld
Summary: Nia doesn't know how no one else sees what she sees, but she's got to do something about it. If only to earn some peace of mind.





	Another Step in the Dance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [averita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averita/gifts).

Nia wants to pinch her nose and sigh in defeat. Every night. Every  _ single  _ night is like this.

She'd spotted her first hint when she met Kara. Okay, so Miss Grant taking as much time as she did to talk about an old assistant was a bit strange. Especially to the extent Nia knew her coffee order without ever meeting her. But it was just a quirk. Miss Grant had plenty of those.

Then she met Kara. And she saw the same glint in her eyes that Cat always got. And on the same subject, too. Each other.

Kara was a lot less subtle about it. She didn't seem built for subterfuge, though Nia's special skills whispered there was something more to Kara Danvers. Something she was able to hide from the rest of the world.

But whatever that secret is, it's not how she feels about Miss Grant.

No, Kara lights up whenever someone mentions Cat. The daily White House press briefings are practically sacred times in the bullpen, prayers led by one blonde and her inability to look away from the screen. And sure, it's crucial as reporters that they stay aware of what's going in the capital. It's why they have several stations permanently set to DC coverage.

But no one else is  _ that  _ enraptured by Cat's briefings on agriculture. Only Kara, staring up at the screens with a longing most people ignore. And Nia wishes she could ignore it as well.

But she can't. Not when she's seen Cat read Kara's articles with the same look on her face. Not when Cat continues to text as the weeks stretch on, mostly work-related but occasionally asking about her coworkers in a way Nia knows actually means Kara.

She's in the middle of this whether she wants to be or not.

With that said, Nia still tries to stay out of it. Kara and Cat are both adults, both more than responsible enough to handle their own emotions. It's not her place to meddle, no matter how they maneuver her into it.

The determination doesn't last long, of course. Not when Nia can see how determined they are to avoid their emotions. Whatever happened or didn't happen between them, neither is inclined to make the first move. They've reached an impasse, and no one is breaking out the climbing gear.

Which means it's Nia's turn to build a bridge.

It starts small, giving Cat more information about Kara than she has in the past. Little details, hints about Kara's life that goes beyond the office. Nothing too serious, and definitely nothing that could betray Kara's trust.

She keeps it simple. Things that draw Cat in a little. That tell her about Kara's life these days. She wants to build the intrigue; then she'll work on whatever the rest of her plan is.

Kara is easier, Nia thinks. Any excuse to talk about Cat is a good one, and once she realizes Nia won't shut her down, Kara will bring her up on her own. It makes Nia wonder which of Kara's friends got tired of listening to the constant refrain of Cat's virtues. Because it's a lot to take in, she can admit that.

And yet, none of those friends spotted Kara's crush enough to push her forward. Or if they did, they didn't act on it. Maybe because they didn't have both sides of the equation the way Nia does, but still. If they'd just seen the signs and done this years ago, maybe Nia wouldn't be stuck interfering in a relationship that isn't hers.

Not that she's having much luck on that front, but that's not the point right now. She'll find someone eventually, right now these two ridiculous women are taking up entirely too much of her time.

"Hey, have you considered asking James if you can cover the White House Correspondents dinner?" Nia asks one day, months in advance of the actual event. "I know it's usually a senior reporter, but you're stretching your wings a little lately, and it'd be a great experience. Even as a shadow!"

For a moment, Nia's afraid she's pushed too hard. Because at the thought of being in the same room as Cat, Kara freezes just a second too long for it to be casual. "Oh, you think I should?" she asks, trying for nonchalant and utterly failing.

"Yeah, totally. You've been taking on a leading role for CatCo anyway. It makes perfect sense to me." It also means a chance for one of them to make an actual move towards the other, but Nia isn't mentioning that bit right now.

Kara still doesn't seem convinced, and Nia decides she'll need to bring out the big guns. "Besides, I know Miss Grant was already preparing her speech when I left, and I wouldn't want to miss a chance to hear it in person. Not if I had the chance."

Boom. Bait taken, mission successful.

Kara's face lights up at the thought, and Nia knows she's got her. Now all she needs to do is figure out a way to get the two face to face, not just in the same room.

"I may ask James after all," Kara says, looking towards his office where he's sitting in a meeting. "You're right; it'd be a shame to miss a speech like that. And Jacobs has wanted more quiet nights with his wife. I bet he'd trade me."

"That's the spirit," Nia encourages, knowing James won't say no to Kara.

It'd been strange when she arrived, the little bits of blatant favoritism from James. But the longer Nia was here, the more she was sure the favoritism was only for Kara. And that it had something to do with whatever secret she's keeping. The secret that is definitely none of Nia's business.

And really, if it gets Kara to Washington, that's all the better.

Now she just has to work on Cat. Finding an angle there will not be easy, the woman is a master manipulator. Trying to manipulate her in return is a fool's errand at best. The mental image Cat has of her is the only thing on Nia's side right now. She's already established as innocent and guileless. So long as she doesn't push too hard, that image should protect from the worst of Cat's suspicions.

Maybe she can call one of her old intern buddies, Nia thinks as she considers her problem. Making sure Kara's seat is visible from the lectern shouldn't be a big ask. Moving her to the front would be impossible, but a clear line of sight from the back isn't terrible.

She'll probably have to call Sarah, that's one of the only favors she still has to cash in. And Sarah will want to know why Nia needs this particular favor. That'll be hard to explain away, but at least Sarah isn't a gossip the way some of the others are. That would get difficult really quickly.

There's also the issue of Kara's credentials. A pass into the main areas for White House staffers would be fantastic, but Nia knows how difficult it is to get one of those. That might take a lot more doing than just getting Kara a good seat.

Dammit. The event is still months away, and Nia has so much to do...

***

Kara looks around in awe as she takes in the formal dining room. She's been in places that put this one to shame, of course. The temples of Rao had ceilings made entirely of crystal that glowed with the light of Rao day and night. And Starhaven was full of fantastical buildings in gravity-defying swirls. This room is almost plain in comparison.

But more than the architecture, the meaning of this room is what has Kara in awe. She'd been a child on Krypton and Starhaven. There only because of her parents, not her own accomplishments.

But here, here she is Kara Danvers, a reporter for CatCo Worldwide Media. She is in this room of leaders and influential forces in the country on her own merits. Not who her parents are.

Taking a deep breath and finding her seat, Kara is surprised to see she has a perfect view of where Cat and all the other speakers will be standing. Usually, CatCo is closer, but off to the side a little ways. Not directly back with no major obstructions to her view. She isn't even blocked by the cameramen currently setting up.

It's weird, but Kara will go with it and pretend it doesn't seem strange. She's good at that. The entire time she spent planning this trip she'd been pretending. Pretending she wasn't terrified to be in the same room as Cat. That she didn't miss Cat with an intensity that didn't fit a former boss and employee.

Most of all, Kara had been pretending she didn't want to sweep Cat off her feet and pull her in for a kiss so deep it would erase all their secrets.

And okay, so that last one wasn't likely to be a real thing. Not even Kryptonians had a power like that, much as Kara might wish. Just normal kissing abilities, and if there were a power of finding a good relationship, obviously Kara'd missed out.

Not that James was a bad guy, not at all. But with all the back and forth it'd taken just to get them to a kiss, Kara'd expected sparks. Fireworks, a whole damn supernova. Something more than a nice warmth and nothing more.

And really, James deserved more than that too. It wasn't fair to either of them, holding on to a relationship that was never more than comfortable.

Mon-El was a different story, but, well. The less said there, the better. She's past him, over him, and ready to recognize she deserves far more than him, in far different ways than with James.

Still, now she's single. She hadn't even put down for a plus one to the dinner, knowing how difficult it was for people to get seats. Why bring along someone likely to be uninterested, or only interested in using the event as a status symbol? And Kara knows it's a status symbol, she isn't blind or naive. But that isn't why she's here tonight, and she doesn't want anyone at her side who is.

Small talk is easy as she takes her seat, grateful she's at a table of relatively like-minded individuals rather than Bill O'Reilly's group. She can enjoy her dinner without worrying she'll bend the silverware trying to keep her mouth shut. A win-win all around.

And as the speakers start speaking, Kara finds herself genuinely enjoying the night. The jokes are witty, the political criticisms witty in a way Kara sometimes recognizes as Cat's work. It's a fun night, and Kara starts to relax.

Then Cat takes the stage for her speech. And suddenly, Kara can't focus on a single other person in the room.

She barely manages to hear what Cat is saying as it is, so focused on drinking in her presence, she forgets everything else. The attraction Kara swore up and down was contained is definitely not, and being this close to Cat and yet still a room away is torture.

Maybe she can fly back tonight as Supergirl, offer her congratulations on a lovely speech. Sure, it'd be suspicious if she was noticed. But Cat knows, Kara's sure of it. And she can be sneaky, land on Cat's balcony without being seen.

Shaken out of her thoughts as Cat's speech ends, Kara applauds with the rest of the room. She doesn't miss the smirk Cat sends her way, the knowing look on her face. Maybe she will make that flight after all...

But before she can decide one way or the other dinner is served, and Kara digs in, wondering if her serving is a little larger than everyone else's or if she's imagining it.

Either way, the food is good, and Kara is hungry. And with an amazing amount of effort, she brings her attention back to the table and not where Cat is sitting with the rest of the administration visitors. In a room full of reporters, she can't be too obvious with her attraction.

At best that would bring ridicule, and at worst it could jeopardize Cat's standing here. Even if Kara isn't the usual CatCo reporter assigned to Washington, it would still look bad.

So instead of staring at Cat the way she wants, soaking in the sight as a balm for the months ahead with nothing more than glances on the TV, Kara focuses on her table.

The gentleman to her right is amusing and kind enough, though Kara finds him a bit boring. Still, despite being here alone, he doesn't try to flirt with her. That's a plus in her book any day.

All too soon the dinner is over and people are packing up, offering Kara one last chance to catch a glimpse of Cat as she heads towards the White House staff's staging area.

So close, and yet so far.

"Excuse me, Miss Danvers?" a security guard says as Kara begins to gather her things. "If you could please follow me?"

Not sure what to think, but grateful he'd been discreet, Kara does as asked and trails behind him. She isn't sure what's going on, but she knows she hasn't done anything wrong. And with Cat here, it can't be a move by the government to capture Supergirl. Cat would never stand for that, and she has ways of knowing even confidential information.

She can't help feeling a little apprehensive as she's led to the same door Cat had disappeared through just minutes ago. The press is never allowed back here. It's off-limits in a way few things are to a good reporter, and being caught sneaking in can end a career in a heartbeat.

And yet here she is, being shown through the door with a nod and smile.

Standing awkwardly on the other side, Kara looks around at the bustle of activity hoping for some clue as to why she's here and where she's supposed to go. But everyone is so busy she's gone unnoticed.

"Oh hi, you must be Kara Danvers," a woman finally says, looking up and spotting her. "Miss Grant is expecting you, just go down that hallway and it's the third door on the left. We're busy packing up right now, or I'd show you myself."

"Oh, I'm sure I can find her," Kara says, laughing nervously as she fiddles with her glasses. "You said she's expecting me?"

"Yeah, for the interview? I swear Nia said she set it up," the woman says, fiddling with the tablet in her hands.

"Oh, right, duh. The interview. I guess I got so caught up in all of this I just...forgot..."

Kara's getting weird looks from a few people now, but she smiles and ignores them as she heads down the hallway. She's not sure what Nia is up to, but she will find out later.

For right now, she needs to meet with Cat and hope she makes it through alive.

"Miss Grant?" Kara calls as she reaches the door indicated. "May I come in?"

"You have five minutes," the familiar voice sounds from behind the door. It's familiar and comforting, and Kara can hear the buried fondness beneath the brusque instructions.

Opening the door carefully, Kara steps inside. She can't believe she's this close to Cat again after all this time. Dozens of times she'd wanted to fly across the country and settle on Cat's balcony, but she could never bring herself to lift off. Cat was off diving, spending time in yurts and serving Olivia's administration. Worthy goals, things Kara shouldn't interrupt. Not to mention what it would do to Cat's plausible deniability.

"Five minutes for an interview seems a bit rushed," Kara teases, somehow knowing Cat doesn't expect an actual interview out of her.

"Well, I'm a busy woman these days," Cat teases back, rising from her chair to pull Kara in for a hug. "You'll have to take what you can get."

And oh, Rao, this is more than Kara ever expected. A nod in her direction from across the room, maybe a comment or two if Cat decided to mingle. That's all she'd hoped for. Some acknowledgment from Cat that she hasn't been forgotten.

Instead, she has her arms full of the woman she's missed from the moment she took flight off the balcony so long ago. Brief visits while the world was ending couldn't ease the longing. They could only throw it into sharp relief.

But this, this is finally soothing the ache Kara's felt for so long. It won't be permanent, she can tell that much. It might even make the absence hurt more when she finally leaves. And yet Kara can do nothing but relax into it, pulling Cat closer and feeling the way the smaller woman does the same.

She might feel at home on Earth these days, but she never feels more grounded than when Cat is holding her close.

"I've missed you," Kara whispers into Cat's hair, unable to hold back the words. "It's been too long."

"Mm, and whose fault is that?" Cat asks, pulling just far enough back in the embrace to give Kara a look. "I can't exactly charter Air Force One to cross the country for personal visits, now can I?"

"I, well, no," Kara says, stumbling a little over her words as she tries to figure out whether Cat is implying what she thinks she's implying. "But, um, air fair might get expensive on my end?"

Rao, she's terrible at this, Kara decides as Cat's look grows sharper and she starts to pull back. Obviously Cat is hoping for some exchange of truth. And here Kara is, offering nothing.

"Plus, it might look suspicious if Kara Danvers kept crossing the country without a flight history," she adds, holding her breath. This is the make or break moment.

"Hmm, you have a point," Cat concedes, eyes dancing with a smile she won't show. Not yet. "Who would've thought, Sunny Danvers learned some discretion after all."

"I can be very discreet," Kara protests weakly. She's heard the opposite often enough from literally everybody.

Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if Nia knew her secret by now.

Cat takes pity on her, shaking her head but not laughing. Kara can feel the suppressed mirth in her frame, though, reminding her they're still holding one another.

And surprisingly, Cat shows no signs of pulling back now. Not since Kara finally admitted what they both know. She seems perfectly content resting in Kara's arms, close enough Kara could lean down and press their lips together with almost no effort.

The thought is electrifying, and Kara wonders for a second if she's been dosed with something. The strange confidence in her blood, that can't be all her, can it? The attraction, that she's well familiar with. But it's always been easier to control.

Maybe it's the months away, lending Kara courage and chipping away at her self-control until she can't hold back. "Would you  _ want  _ me to visit?" she asks, afraid of the answer but needing to know.

The sudden directness takes Cat by surprise, but Kara knows she'll recover quickly. She always has. Nothing can truly shock Cat Grant for very long.

"It wouldn't be unwelcome," she says after a minute, searching Kara's face for an answer to some unknown question before she speaks. "The secrecy wouldn't be ideal, of course."

"But necessary?" Kara already knows the answer to that one, but so much of this night is unanticipated. She needs Cat to tell her what's going on. Clearly, without dancing around the issue.

And yet all Kara can do is follow along the same steps they've always danced, circling each other without ever getting too close. They've flirted with the line in the past. Pushed and pulled, traced fingers down biceps and stared a little too long at lips. But it's never been like this.

It's never been so real Kara can almost taste it on her lips, can almost feel the pressure of Cat against her as they kiss. And yet it's still just out of reach, waiting for that final step.

"For now," Cat says, leaning up a bare half-inch closer to Kara's lips. "Maybe not forever, but promises have never been my strong suit."

"You promised you'd be back," Kara points out. 

She remembers that night, remembers the look in Cat's eyes as they stood staring at each other. They'd been almost as close then as they are now, but it hadn't been the right moment. Cat needed to dive, and Kara needed to grow.

Now, though. Who knows what they're ready for now.

"I did. And I intend to keep that promise. But I can't say when. And with our jobs, well. Visits would be difficult to schedule." Kara knows all of this. She knows, and she knows she should care. And yet it's hard to remember why, exactly.

The feeling of Cat in her arms is slowly driving away rational thought in favor of a growing magnetism between them. They can still fight it, can still hold back. But the longer they stay like this, the less likely it is they'll break apart and go their separate ways.

Deciding she doesn't care, Kara doesn't bother replying. She just leans down, slowly enough Cat could pull away. Could step back, put the distance between them and return to pretending they don't both feel the attraction. It's a familiar move. One that'd convinced Kara she imagined things for a long time.

Instead, Cat meets her halfway, never one to let others take the lead when she can push forward. And oh, Kara couldn't imagine this either. No dream could compare to this moment of reality, and whatever comes next Kara won't care. Lillian Luthor could stab her with a Kryptonite knife and Kara would be happy she waited until after this fantastic moment.

A knock at the door startles them apart, harsh breathing echoing around the room as they both suddenly realize how lost they'd been in the kiss. Kara has no idea how long it lasted. Minutes, hours, seconds? There's no way to know, and Kara doesn't really care.

"Miss Grant, your car is here as requested," the intern who'd directed Kara this way calls from outside the door. Thankfully she doesn't peek in, obviously well trained in the intricacies of Cat Grant.

"I should go," Cat says, regret tinging her voice. "There will be questions if I'm too late."

Despite the regret in her voice and the words she says, Cat makes no move to pull back out of Kara's arms. After so long apart, neither wants to let go.

"I, um, I could follow?" Kara offers, afraid despite everything she might be overstepping. "I know you tease me about discretion, but it's really hard to spot someone moving at super speed."

"Tempting," Cat hums, and Kara feels her stomach drop. Maybe she'd misread the situation all wrong after all. "Can you make it through a second-story window without being seen?"

"I can make it through a  _ fiftieth  _ story window without being seen," Kara counters, still trying to keep her hopes realistic. "But the real question is, am I invited inside that second-story window?"

For a second Cat frowns, and Kara thinks she'll be hearing a list of all the reasons a relationship between them would be horribly complicated. And she knows the truth of the words, has repeated them to herself any time her desire got out of hand. But that doesn't mean she wants to hear them again now. Not from Cat, not so soon after finally getting what she's wanted for years.

"There's a standing invitation with your name on it," Cat says eventually, the protests dying on her lips before she can give them a voice. "We'll have to talk, eventually, but I think we need more space for that. Time when my assistant isn't knocking at the door every two minutes."

As if on cue, a knock sounds again. "We're just wrapping up," Cat calls out, not tearing her eyes from Kara's face. "What do you say, darling? Should I be expecting company tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll be there," Kara says, face splitting in a wide smile. "And I'll bring a nice bottle of wine."

"Mm, you do know how to be invited back," Cat says, pressing one last quick peck to Kara's lips before stepping back.

"As long as you'll have me," Kara promises, still giddy from the night's surprises.

***

It's not until later, lying in Cat's bed with the sheets bunched around her hips, that Kara realizes Nia set her up. And while any other time she'd be angry...

Well.

This time, she might just buy a fruit basket.


End file.
